(MONEY Magazine) – PRIVACY

FREE SAFETY

BEFORE YOU SPEND $50 ON PC-SECURITY SOFTWARE, CHECK YOUR ISP'S SECURITY MEASURES. THEY CAN BE PRETTY GOOD, AND THEY'RE FREE. PAGE 121

SHOP SMART

SAVE $250 Buy a Gateway laptop at a Best Buy store for $250 less than what you'd pay online. PAGE 147

YOUR HOME

Buy right in today's real estate market

MAKE YOUR FIRST BID

15% BELOW THE ASKING PRICE. PAGE 108

FORECAST

Quarterly reports: MONEY's calendar will keep you in financial shape all year long. PAGE 117

HOME

Make your renovation count

Spend $200 on an appraisal before renovating to see if your home improvements will pay off at resale time. PAGE 67

DIY: SEE PAGE 151 FOR SOME HOLIDAY TOOLS.

TAXES

save $ 2,600 on taxes if you buy a hybrid auto. But act soon. PAGE 117

GET HIGHER YIELDS

3.3% Check out iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend ETF. Recently its dividend yield was 3.3%, nearly twice that of the S&P 500. PAGE 81

COLLEGE SAVINGS

SAVE $500 by using an online SAT tutor instead of a live one. PAGE 47